They're a staple of the Catholic Church, but everything from the way nuns look to how they live has changed over time.

The number of nuns nationwide has been decreasing.

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In Louisville, the trend is the same. The Ursuline Sisters have seen their numbers fall from 600 to just 73 on their campus.

“There are not going to be as many and that is OK,” Sister Janet Marie Peterworth said. "It's not going to be a vocation for kids anymore."

Peterworth starts her schedule on the Ursuline Campus.

Midmorning takes her into chapel for mass, where she joins a group of mostly women.

The pews are filled with sisters.

"Now we are dressing like the people of our time,” Peterworth said.

The days of sisters in their traditional habits are long gone. Appearance is not the only noticeable change.

The demographic is drastically different than after World War II.

Nationally the number of nuns is shrinking.

According to the Pew Research Center, in 1965 there were nearly 180,000 nuns in the U.S. Last year, there were less than 50,000.

"I think what's happened is that our life form is no longer for kids, I think it's for more mature women,” Peterworth said.

The youngest sister on the Ursuline Campus in Louisville is in her 50s.

Sister Katherine Corbett serves as a nurse. She became a nun eight years ago at age 48.

"With my background in nursing, I felt that this is one way that God was calling me to serve,” she said.

"Women, older women who already have a spiritual life, who already know how to pray, who for whatever reason have opted not to be married perhaps considering this life form as did Katherine, I think that's going to be the future,” Peterworth said.

The changes are not just in the numbers. The lifestyle is much different than it was when Peterworth became a nun 60 years ago.

"We did not go out, alone first of all we always went in twos. We were not allowed to go in stores, we did not shop,” she said.

Now, she rides a bike, drives a car, keeps up with her students on social media and even enjoys a good rivalry game.

“When UofL and UK played, we had a big party,” she said.

“Party like chips and cake?” asked WLKY’s Jennifer Baileys.

“Chips and Cokes and maybe a little beer,” Peterworth said.

Despite the decreasing numbers, Peterworth said nuns will not disappear. Women are just serving in different ways thanks to the changing Catholic Church.

"There are so many different opportunities open to women today in our church that were not open to women in the 50s and 60s," she said.

The Ursuline Sisters specifically focus on serving beyond the walls of the convent.

Last summer, they helped build Habitat homes in Louisville. Pope Francis named 2015 the year of the consecrated life, calling on everyone to give back and serve.

“This is where I’m supposed to be, you know, this is my calling and this is how I can help,” Corbett said.

"Each of us has our own gift that we bring to the church, but we're all in here loving God and serving people out of gospel, out of the gospel message,” Peterworth said.

The Ursuline Sisters minister in five states and Peru, working in parishes, social services agencies doing spiritual direction and other ministries.

Next year, they will celebrate 100 years with the motherhouse and 158 years in Louisville.

Ursuline officials said church traditions are not in danger because of the declining numbers of nuns and church operations are not being affected either.